Biogen Idec, Forest and Bayer Among Top Sponsors Rated by Investigative Sites in New CenterWatch Survey

More than 2,000 global investigative sites rate the best biopharmaceutical companies to work for in a new survey conducted by CenterWatch, a leading provider of global clinical trials information. The survey results were released today in the March issue of The CenterWatch Monthly newsletter.

Biogen Idec, Forest Laboratories and Bayer claimed the top three spots in CenterWatch’s bi-annual 2013 Global Investigative Site Relationship survey, receiving the highest average rating across 36 relationship attributes. Tied for fourth were Novo Nordisk and Takeda Pharmaceutical, while Boehringer-Ingelheim and Gilead Sciences both finished fifth. Three other sponsors—Daiichi Sankyo, Roche and Sanofi—rounded out the top 10.

According to the results, while sponsors have maintained the quality of their relationships, they have not improved their partnerships with sites over the past two years. As sponsors hand over an increasing amount of study conduct to CROs and have less direct contact with sites, investigators expressed frustration in several key areas, giving sponsors lower marks in access to sponsor staff for problem resolution, managing study monitoring support, prompt payment and maintaining open communication with sites.

The results also indicate that sites are frustrated with not having direct input into running clinical trials more efficiently and improving operational issues, from patient recruitment strategies to the use of technology at the sites.

“Sites clearly want to voice their opinions and share insights with sponsors and CROs on areas in which progress has been made, along with areas that may need improvement,” said Joan Chambers, COO of CenterWatch. “Sponsors and CROs take this feedback very seriously given its importance to successful global clinical trial performance.”

The CenterWatch 2013 Global Investigative Site Relationship Survey was conducted online during November/December 2012 and January 2013. Principal investigators and study staff were asked to rate the sponsors with whom they had worked during the past two years on a range of relationship attributes from study planning to innovativeness. A total of 22 sponsors with sufficient sample sizes were included in the analysis. The survey, first conducted 16 years ago, had an unprecedented response from sites this year, with 2,032 global sites responding.

Pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies interested in receiving a comprehensive report on their company-specific results of the 2013 survey can contact Joan Chambers at (617) 948-5100, or [email protected]. Custom reports provide company-specific results compared with past survey findings and industry benchmarks. To read the full sponsor report, subscribe to The CenterWatch Monthly or purchase the March issue. In May, CenterWatch will release the second part of its survey, in which global investigative sites rate the best contract research organizations.